


Nobody Knows

by jconway



Category: Captain Marvel (2019), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-03-06 05:20:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18844447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jconway/pseuds/jconway
Summary: Based off of the song, "Nobody Knows" by The Tony Rich Project just because it came on shuffle and I immediately thought of these two lovers.--Maria comforts Carol after a mild injury. She knows the looks and touches that convey various emotions her wife harbors. Established Carol/Maria.





	Nobody Knows

Carol landed on the front lawn with as must grace as she could muster and that was not much at all currently. Her arms and legs were roaring in pain and agitation with even the lightest of steps.

Carol had always prided herself on her independence, her dexterity and her inner strength which had helped her not only survive but thrive in the toughest of situations both in this world and others. But right now—right now—she didn’t care about any reputation, any character to uphold. All she cared about was making it across the vast lawn to Maria, specifically to her strong arms.

The fire building in her legs was almost too much to handle. She was just about to bend down to pull a tighter compress on her clearly sprained ankle when she caught quick sight of Maria.

All it took was the look. The look that Carol gave to Maria and Maria only. The look that was their form of saying “help.” This look had a long and deep-rooted history but never needed any acknowledgement or clarification. There were times—before the crash—when Carol would return from basic training and after a long day of sexism and mockery, could only cast a glance to her roommate, Maria. It was in that look that Maria knew all she needed to know about Carol Danvers. She was a fighter and that is something that would change right after hell froze over. But beneath the fighter was this woman, this beautiful and vulnerable soul who found a haven and comfort in Maria Rambeau.

Then Maria was at Carol’s side in almost an instant.

Carol let out a loud gasp escape her lips. She didn’t even know there was a gasp in her. She leaned heavily on Maria’s right side as her feet continued their strenuous journey across the large lawn.

“Monica?” Carol asked with a strained voice.

“Sleepover. Lean more on me.” Maria replied instantly.

“Really? I don’t remember discussing sleepover stuff with you.” Carol managed a raised eyebrow and a faux glare.

“Figured it was time to let her. Hop over this step. I got you.”

“She is getting older,” Carol relented with a difficult sigh. She gingerly hopped a bit over the hole that Maria knew from memory.

“Almost fourteen. One more step, baby.”

“Fourteen. We are getting—ah—old,” Carol nearly panted as she fought her way over one last step.

“Speak for yourself. Sit down, let me get a good look at your ankle.”

Carol felt a wave of warmth and pure safety as she entered their kitchen. The warm yellow tinted light was pulsating softly. A few cicadas kept conversation outside. The humid Louisiana air kept her sweaty skin moist. She lowered herself onto the first kitchen chair in sight and moaned in appreciation.

Maria was busying herself in the top kitchen drawer, meticulously grabbing for a bandage wrap. She shifted over to the refrigerator and pulled out a cold compress from the freezer.

“I like that you get all ready for me,” Carol gave her best cocky smile before she hissed in pain as Maria gently pulled her boot off.

“Up.” Maria ordered.

Carol gritted her teeth as she raised her foot carefully onto Maria’s lap.

“Landed too harshly on impact in battle,” Carol replied. “You should be happy that I hurt myself and not someone else…although these days, I’m not sure anyone can hurt me.”

“Don’t tempt me,” Maria glared playfully at Carol. She casted her eyes downward, as if to shield the change in emotion before adding, “I’m not happy anytime you’re hurt.”

“Not hurt at all, babydoll!” Carol grinned through the pain, very bravely twisting her ankle a bit to alleviate some of the pain in Maria’s own eyes. “See? Not even that bad.” Carol covered her wince with a excruciating smile.

“Quit hurting yourself more!” Maria chastised her as she went to adjust Carol’s foot on her lap again. “I’m going to wrap it now. Take a deep breath.”

“Affirmative.”

Maria very gracefully wrapped Carol’s ankle, each stroke and turn with extreme carefulness and precision. Every wrap around her lover’s ankle was deliberate. Maria’s skills in emergency medical care had always surpassed Carol’s at Basic.

“And a kiss to make it all worth it.” Maria bent down to gingerly kiss Carol’s throbbing ankle.

“Could’ve just started out with the kiss,” Carol smiled as she pulled Maria in closer by her collar.

Carol place a chaste yet hungry kiss on Maria’s lips, desperately wanting more but not being able to weigh it against her now roaring pain.

“Let’s get to bed.”

“Easy there, Captain. I don’t know how much action you’re going to get tonight with this ankle. It looks like an eggplant.” Carol tilted her head in a tease as she allowed Maria to gently lead her toward the bedroom.

“The only acting you’re getting is ice on that nearly broken bone,” Maria rolled her eyes.

“I love it when you talk mean to me,” Carol quipped back with another quick kiss to the corner of Maria’s mouth.

Maria gave her best effort in not smiling but soon succumbed when Carol nearly gave her a wet raspberry on her cheek.

“Stop that or I’m letting you fall and sleep on the ground all night!” Maria threatened with absolutely no intent in her voice.

“You’d lay with me.” Carol stared directly into Maria’s eyes with a look of determination and adoration.

It was another look that that Carol often gave Maria. It had its history somewhere deep and relating to the time when Maria had outdone all the men in the pull-up contest on base.

“I would.” Maria replied simply, letting her hands rest at Carol’s side and kissing her fully on the mouth. Carol hummed into the kiss. These kisses were rare, the ones where Maria poured all her comfort and protectiveness into it. They were rare but Carol, ever since coming back to Maria, never let one go to waste without complimenting it.

“I love it when you kiss me like that,” Carol smiled against Maria’s lips.

“I know you do,” Maria gave a laugh as she ushered them toward the bed.

Maria quickly went to run a bath while Carol shuffled through their wardrobe to find something to sleep in.

“Mind if I wear your Basic training shirt?” Carol asked, pulling it out of the drawer before Maria offered allowance.

“There are some soft shorts right next to it too. Grab those.”

Carol quickly stripped her clothes off as Maria tested the water and nodded in satisfaction.

Maria helped Carol gently lower herself into the warm bath. While Carol closed her eyes in appreciation, Maria sat on the toilet and stared at her love.  
“Take a picture. It’ll last longer…?” Carol opened up on eye in anticipation.

Maria let out a hearty chuckle as she wiped some bubbles from Carol’s nose.

“I see you’re remembering some earth phrases,” Maria observed.

“I’m getting there, I’m getting there,” Carol sighed as she submerged her face into the water and came back up.

“Want to talk about it?” Maria asked Carol, peering directly into her eyes and not at the numerous bruises and wounds decorating Carol’s naked skin.

“Not really.” Carol answered, peering down at her feet across the tub. “I do but not in words.”

Maria nodded once, in total understanding. Carol, in another manifestation of her look, grabbed for Maria’s hands and kissed her knuckles.

Carol, who had always been a person who expressed her emotions physically, had taken to kissing Maria’s knuckles when she needed the woman’s strength and protection to shower over her.

“Of course, baby,” Maria kissed Carol’s temple as she urged her out of the tub and wrapped a warm towel around her wet body.

Maria enveloped Carol in a hug, Carol nuzzling into her neck and breathing in the fresh and clean smell that Maria Rambeau always was. Maria rubbed her hands up and down Carol’s back, putting love and peace into her motions. Carol immediately released a great big groan that she had apparently been holding in.

“ ‘M Sorry,” Carol muttered into Maria’s neck.

“I said you don’t need to talk, I’m here.” Maria brushed the back of Carol’s head softly.

“I think I want to. I need to…tonight. Tonight at least. Can we go to bed?”

“Let’s go to bed.”

Carol curled into Maria’s side, gently rubbing circle’s on her wife’s wrist.

“I don’t want to talk about what happened or what hurts,” Carol said after a long time, her lips resting softly against Maria’s collarbone.

“We don’t have to, you know that,” Maria hummed back softly, rubbing circles on Carol’s back.

“Right. I don’t want to talk about that stuff but I do want to say something. About here. Right now. Being here in your arms it makes every pain slip off of me. Hearing your voice I can just remove myself from every fear, every pain I had. You are my safe place, my home. I missed you. I just wanted to say that.”

Maria, who had prided herself on being able to shut her mouth long enough to let Carol open up in moments such as this, smiled gratefully. Her right eye filled with tears.

“You’re my safe place too. I’m in constant fear and worry when you’re not right here in my arms.”

“Captain Marvel is the small spoon.” Carol chuckled lightly.

“Carol Danvers is always my baby.”

Maria pressed one more soft and gently kiss to Carol’s nose before they both drifted off to sleep, the safety of being in each other’s arms being enough to lull them to sleep at last.


End file.
